So what does this have to do with YellowMan? Well, the tattoo clothing line was created by founder Peter Mui as a vehicle to celebrate cross-racial and cross-cultural attitudes. This was a deeply personal endeavor for Mui, growing up Chinese in Oklahoma. Mui made it his mission to turn the racial slur “yellow” on its head and re-brand it into an expression of pride.

The late Peter Mui, founder of YellowMan tattoo clothing, along with three of his children.

For Peter Mui, the tattoo medium was an obvious choice to express his cross-racial mission. Tattoos held deeply personal meanings, they were literally colored on skin (the ultimate racial identity), and he observed that Westerners frequently wore traditional, Eastern-themed tattoos, and vice versa. Somehow, tattoos were breaking boundaries and ushering in the first examples of racial coexistence and cultural acceptance. So Mui traveled the world and commissioned tattoo masters of every style to produce original artwork, which were eventually produced into wearable art steeped in rich cultural identity.

So, back to Laurence Fishburne. There he is on Katie Couric’s talk show – talking about his groundbreaking role as a black man playing a traditionally-white Perry White, wearing a piece of traditional Japanese yakuza art by the late irezumi master, Horitoyo, in the form of a badge-of-honor YellowMan shirt – all beneath a purple suit jacket… Absolutely smashing and profound!

YellowMan is now offering 100% silk tattoo scarves. They make a perfect gift for the holidays.

Just in time for the Gift Giving Season, YellowMan has just added a suite of 100% Silk Chiffon tattoo scarves! These colorful, stylish, and fun silk scarves are designed with popular artwork from some of YellowMan’s top tattoo artists.

Whether you are looking for something special for yourself, or are looking for an extra special gift for a loved one, YellowMan silk scarves offer great options for formal or casual wear, understated or aggressive looks, or fun and colorful accessories for the Fall/Winter season.

DJ Cato of NYC has graced the home page of YellowMan.com several times now, wickedly styling YellowMan tattoo shirts (including a tattoo shirt by Horitomo he’s holding in the above picture), but now he’s taking his love of YellowMan a step further. He’s having some of the artists ink the art directly to skin – and it’s looking mighty good.

DJ Cato is currently having his work done by Matt Beckerich (third from top right, above) at ink-heavyweight Mike Rubendall’s Kings Avenue Tattoo in New York. He sits for four hours at a time while Beckerich does his work. If that sounds painful, DJ Cato tells us the tattoo removal he received before this tattoo work began was far more excruciating. This is something to think about if you are on the verge of getting a haphazard tattoo.

In the early days of YellowMan Tattoo Clothing, tattoo artist Horitaka (pictured third from top left) helped the late founder, Peter Mui, broker relationships with other top tattoo artists, like Horitomo (pictured below with DJ Cato). Over the years Horitaka and Horitomo have both produced exceptional designs for the premium tattoo clothing brand.

DJ Cato flings a YellowMan shirt over his shoulder, designed by the artist by his side, Horitomo.

Those of us lucky to be around in the office in the early YellowMan days often experienced the treat of opening packages and unrolling tubes of original artwork from world-class tattoo artists – like this incredible koi tattoo sleeve art by Horitomo:

In the span of over a decade Peter Mui was able to amass a vast collection of original artwork from over 70 of the top tattoo artists around the world. That artwork has become the gold standard of the exclusive YellowMan Authentic tattoo shirts now available at yellowman.com. If you haven’t ever seen one of these amazing shirts in person, you have to experience one to believe the exceptional quality of print, fabric and comfort. There truly is nothing like it anywhere else!

Are you reaching your burnout point from this year’s Holiday shopping frenzy? Looking for a way to release your pent-up angst without undue fallout? Or maybe you simply want to be a bit jagged on the edges and show a bit of pizazz. If any of this sounds appealing, then YellowMan’s new Burnout shirt is for you!

Truthfully, this shirt isn’t ONLY edgy, it’s actually quite beautiful. The detail in the art is super sharp, and you can get lost in finding new things hidden there. The colors are also surprisingly sophisticated, and look excellent with a pair of rugged jeans or beneath a jacket for a slick flare.

So what IS in the art and what does it mean? As with all art, interpretation belongs to the beholder, and this print has a LOT to contemplate. There’s the Eddie-like (you Iron Maiden fans out there know the reference) evil skull with a “third eye” (Tool fans will appreciate this one). He (or she, perhaps?), adorned with a crown and necklace of skulls, opens up his mind in a burning puff of smoke. The expression is one of intent and confidence. Rebellious and irreverent.

Detail of YellowMan's "Burnout" shirt.

Imagine yourself spiraling down a snowy precipice on your snowboard wearing this shirt (yes! it makes an excellent base layer!) while your friends cheer for your gnarly wipeout. Or maybe you want to amp yourself up for a frigid spin on your motorcycle (as a base layer this shirt will help keep you dry and warm – not just because of the flames). Or perhaps you want to be the life of the party (believe it or not, this shirt can be formal!), styling the classy colors beneath a sharp blazer (pun intended!)

The possibilities are endless… The main thing is that you can make this your own. You wear it how you want to.

Chinese guardian lions, otherwise known as Foo Dogs in the West, have held protective powers over Chinese imperial tombs, palaces and temples since the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). After being formalized in the Ming and Qing dynasties the regal creatures have been popularized beyond palaces, and can be seen in front of hotels, restaurants, and even in front of houses.

The lions are always presented in pairs, a manifestation of yin and yang, the female representing yin and the male yang. The male lion has its right front paw on an embroidered ball called a “xiù qiú” (绣球), which is sometimes carved with a geometric pattern known in the West as the “Flower of life” The female is essentially identical, but has a cub under the closer (left) paw to the male, representing the cycle of life. Symbolically, the female fu lion protects those dwelling inside, while the male guards the structure. Sometimes the female has her mouth closed, and the male open. This symbolizes the enunciation of the sacred word “om”. However, Japanese adaptions state that the male is inhaling, representing life, while the female exhales, representing death. Other styles have both lions with a single large pearl in each of their partially opened mouths. The pearl is carved so that it can roll about in the lion’s mouth but sized just large enough so that it can never be removed.

Guardian lions/Foo Dogs aren’t unique to China. The Shinto in Japan also have celebrated them, and perhaps even predate the Chinese Buddhists. But the lion’s essential embodiment of protection, strength, courage, wealth and success remains essentially the same in both traditions.

Back detail of YellowMan's Chines Lions tattoo shirt

Guardian lions are frequently seen in traditional Asian tattoo, as is represented in YellowMan’s Chinese Lions tattoo shirt. The lions, depicted with decorative colored spots, weave in and out of intricate compositions. As with the sculptural representations guarding imperial palaces, the tattooed lions embrace the wearer with protection, success, and courage.

Kirituhi, meaning “skin art”, is a Maori form of body adornment which is painted onto the skin using a mixture of charcoal, and is offered as a culturally sensitive alternative to the traditionally sacred Polynesian Ta Moko art. Kirituhi is inspired by Ta Moko, but does not contain the essential element of whakapapa, or, the long lines of genealogy which are important to Maori.

By now you have likely stumbled onto one of the many blogs hosting YMX athletic/lifestyle apparel reviews and giveaways. We’ve compiled a list of the top 5 blogs that generated the most traffic for the month of August. Here they are in order of the most traffic first:

Blog Post Excerpt: So many running apparel items look the same. The designs start to run together. YMX by Yellowman deviates from the norm and brings us some colorful, playful patterns that are lightweight and performance material. full post.

Excerpt from the “About Me” tab of the blog: I love to run. I discovered it 2 1/2 years ago. Like I do most things, I went from zero to 26.2 miles. No half marathons for me, no running cross country in high school. I just set my mind to it, trained and crossed the finish line. In April 2011 I came back from a hip stress fracture to run the Boston Marathon. I didn’t win, but I crossed the same finish line as the winner did. I’m proud of that.

I also love to write. I believe in holding nothing back. I believe in telling the truth. I believe in being real. I’m sure it offends some, but I’m also sure it resonates with more.more here.

Excerpt from blog post:I wore the shirt on a 20-mile run outside, then on a 8 mile track workout (with the armsleeves), and then again this morning on a 12-mile run on the treadmill. I love it! I think this is the lightest running shirt I have ever worn.full post here.

Excerpt from the “About Me” tab of the blog: I work (from home) as an adoption coordinator for special needs kids in Ethiopia for Adoption Advocates International. It is a rewarding and yet stressful job.

I am a runner, and running has given me so much. Running has helped me lose and keep off 75lbs. Running has given me a sense of personal satisfaction and accomplishment. Running has helped me reduce my stress and increase my patience. Running has helped me make taking care of myself a priority and better balance my life. Running has given me a wonderful friendship that I desperately needed. Running helped me find a part of myself… a part that is athletic, strong, tough, brave, determined, and confident…a part of me that I didn’t know existed. Every day running betters my body, mind and soul.more here.

Blog post excerpt:The fabric is great, I’m used to the tech shirts I receive at races, but this was something completely different. The jersey is made of a “MadKool” fabric, it was very light and soft, and a bit stretchy, with a bonus UV Protection of 50+. In addition, it’s wrinkle and abrasion resistant, which is nice, especially when your dog jumps up on you, while you’re wearing the jersey, as you take him for a run.Full post here.

From the “About Me” section of the blog: I’m a wife and mother of two, who left the wilds of NYC for the wilds of Central NY. I am a runner, with one marathon, and one triathlon under my belt. Next up, the NYC Marathon, I’m raising research funds for The Children’s Tumor Foundation. I appreciate good food, I love to cook healthy meals, but I also indulge when the mood strikes. I’m a Stay At Home Mom. Basically, I’m all about balance, as I try to figure it all out.more here.

1. It is super light weight and silky to the touch (I kinda want to wear it for everyday clothes)2. The fit is flattering
3. It is SO SO SO comfortable to wear!4. The colors are bright and the design is fun5. I LOVE the sweat wicking material, it dries super duper fast6. After washing it a few times it doesn’t seem to have lost any of it’s brightness
7. CHAFE free!!! :)8. There is a pocket in the back that is big enough for a GU

There’s no “About Me” section of this blog, but there is this in the header:

Luck is taking the opportunities God gives you and making the most out of them… this is my journey about making the most of the life He’s blessed me with and training for races while going back to school and planning a wedding!

Blog post excerpt:This shirt is so versatile you literally could wear it anywhere. I wore it to town to do some errands. This shirt has a very trimming look to it too.Full post.

From the “About Me” section of the blog: I am a farmer’s wife and a mother of two boys. I help my husband with our farming business. I did my first marathon in October and loved every minute of it. I’m hoping to do another one this year.more here.

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So there you have it. The top 5 blog posts for August. Be sure to check in on the YMX Facebook page for more giveaway/contest announcements.